Most of us know that Tenpin is the best and biggest bowling alley in Manchester, with 14 lanes to show off your skills.
But did you also know how many other activities there are within this huge entertainment complex at Manchester Printworks?
This massive hub of fun opened back in 2020, promising to create a space where visitors can drink, eat and play all under one roof.
With its prime location near Manchester Victoria station and being right on the edge of the Northern Quarter, it’s become something of a local landmark.
And inside, it’s not all just about the bowling – though with colour-changing LED lighting, huge scoring monitors, and interactive lanes, the bowling experience is pretty impressive.
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If you’re wanting to pack some more activities into your evening, here are five other things you can do at Tenpin in Printworks in Manchester.
Pool and table tennis
You can play pool at table tennis at Tenpin Manchester Printworks as well as bowling
Show me a better noise on the planet than the clunk of a pool ball sinking into a pocket…
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That’s right – you can’t, which is why you’ll always find The Manc team stood around the nearest pool table having a bit of a friendly (ish) competition.
Tenpin has several pool tables and table tennis tables too, and you don’t need to book these in advance – just rock up and bring your best game face.
Arcade games
There are loads of arcade games to play at Tenpin Manchester Printworks
The childish glee you can get from mashing buttons on a bright, glowing arcade machine is unmatched, and at Tenpin they have loads to choose from.
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From racing simulators to dance mats to air hockey tables, there are plenty of activities to entertain you in the state-of-the-art arcade area.
Dare you to try and beat our high score on Pac-Man…
Karaoke
There are private karaoke rooms you can book outAnd a fully-stocked bar
Ready to show your mates your best vocals? Start warming up your best Adele impression because Tenpin has its own private karaoke rooms you can book.
You can reserve each room for up to 10 people then flick through a comprehensive list of ballads, chart-topping pop songs and rock anthems.
Love or loathe karaoke, you’re guaranteed a few laughs.
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Beer pong
Beer pong tables at Tenpin
Who doesn’t love a game of beer pong?
At Tenpin, they have specially-made beer pong tables where you can get competitive trying to sink balls into each other’s American-style red cups.
It’s just £2.50 to get the table set up, then add whatever booze you want to play with on top of that.
We’ll leave you to argue about the rules amongst yourselves…
Feast
Food and drink at Tenpin Manchester Printworks
You’re going to need your energy to get round all the activities at Tenpin, and to us, that means snacks.
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The menu here is packed with classic American-style food, from loaded nachos to chicken wings to pizza.
There’s also a Munchies menu filled with fries, mozzarella sticks, mac and cheese bites, onion rings and more, with a three-for-£13/99 deal.
AND you can get delicious cocktails from the two bars inside the venue.
To book your activities at Tenpin Printworks Manchester, head here.
Featured image: The Manc Group
What's On
You can now have a private tour of Manchester Christmas Markets
Thomas Melia
Every year, Manchester Christmas Markets hosts its almost two-month long residency on the frosty streets of our lively city, but now you can enjoy the cute huts with an unbeatable luxury experience.
Travel agency, Viator, who are directly connected to TripAdvisor, have launched a one on one guided tour of Manchester and its stunning Manchester Christmas Marketsin all their glory.
This private tour of the festivities occurring in the city will last two hours and for the whole duration of your time, a city host will be on hand to offer undivided attention, catering to your every need.
A makeshift itinerary is already awaiting guests and can be tailored according to the individual taking the tour, everything is catered to your preferences.
Anyone who books onto the tour also receives a complimentary hot chocolate and that’s sweetened the deal for me, I’m sold.
How can you go wrong with these incredible options at Manchester Christmas Markets?You can recreate your very own gigantic cheese pull and your local host can snap a piccie.Scrumptious selection of food available as you venture through Manchester Christmas Markets in style.
There’s also the chance to keep your hands toasty with a free cup of mulled wine or a soft-drink for those who aren’t interested in the warm alcoholic beverage.
Manchester Christmas Markets are a phenomenal day or night-out regardless so this latest personalised opportunity will take your festive fantasies to a whole new level.
This private tour provides a one-of-a-kind exclusive treatment making your stroll down Manchester Cathedral, Exchange Square and Manchester Town Hall that little bit more special.
These tours are a great chance to immerse yourself in one of Manchester’s many selling points as you can choose to focus your time around art and culture, fashion, architecture or our personal favourite – food.
This exclusive tour package which highlights the best of Manchester Christmas Markets is definitely a present in itself with tickets costing a hefty sum of £100.
If you want to visit Manchester Christmas Markets while also living the high life with a private tour, ‘Christmas In Manchester: Private Experience With A City Host’ is running all the way until the huts shut shop on 22 December and tickets can be found here.
Manchester’s new real-life Pac-Man experience is coming soon and you can grab early bird tickets
Danny Jones
Manchester already boasts a whole host of interactive games bars and activity destinations to boast, but we feel pretty confident in saying that there are very places on the planet where you can find a place to play a real-life version of Pac-Man.
First announced back in October and now scheduled to debut in March 2025, the Pac-Man Live Experience is the newest addition to Manchester’s growing entertainment scene and it’s promising to be a popular one too.
This brand-new life-sized immersive experience plunges players into the nostalgic world of the iconic video game we all know and love, only instead of using joysticks on an old-school arcade machine, they’ll physically sprint, dodge, and chomp their way through a maze.
Although the launch itself is still a few months away, the team behind this ingenious idea are getting ready for the frenzy and putting early bird tickets on sale ahead of opening day.
Credit: Concept Image (supplied)
So how does it work?
Good question: participants can gear up in a PAC vest and step into the role of the instantly recognisable yellow chomper, collecting power pellets, dodging the classic ghost characters – BLINKY, PINKY, INKY, and CLYDE – and racking up points on their way to victory.
Guided through an epic 12-level adventure, players will be led by the ‘PAC-MASTER’: a lively gameshow host who serves as commentator and referee; players will also be accompanied by immersive in-game effects like sound bites, lighting, and haptic (vibration) feedback to elevate the experience. Cool, right?
The striking Arcade Arena will feature two massive PAC-MAN courts projected onto the floor, while dynamic visuals transform the walls, fully immersing participants in the retro arcade universe. There’s no need for headsets either, so players can embark on a multi-sensory adventure, seamlessly blending the real world with augmented reality.
Created by Tom Lionetti-Maguire, the CEO and Founder of Little Lion Entertainment – the same team behind The Crystal Maze Live Experience, Tomb Raider, and Chaos Karts to the likes of London and more recently Manchester –
The whole thing has been brought to life in partnership with Bandai Namco Entertainment, lending the proper licensing to make the experience feel both fun and authentic. It’s the real deal.
Credit: Supplied
Early bird tickets for Pac-Man Live Manchester
If you’re not sold on playing a human-sized, real-life game of Pac-Man in a huge augmented-reality arena right here in Manchester then we don’t know what to tell you, to be honest – all we know is that we’ll be first in line when it arrives.
The Pac-Man Live Experience comes to the Arcade Arena on 22 March next year in line with the game’s 40th anniversary, and they’re inviting players of all ages and providing engaging gameplay for younger participants while delivering a nostalgic throwback that parents and grandparents will cherish.
Better yet, if you book during the early bird window, you can access discount ticket prices from just £25 per person too.
Early bird tickets go on sale at 12 noon today (Thursday, 21 November) – you can grab yours HERE.
Daisy Jackson -
17th June 2024 
